The recent explosion at a nursing facility in Bucks County was a tragic reminder that when an emergency occurs in a setting filled with elderly, medically fragile, or otherwise vulnerable individuals, there is no margin for confusion or delay. In those first critical moments, local police, firefighters, and EMS personnel are tasked with making life-or-death decisions—often without knowing a building’s layout, utility shutoffs, evacuation protocols, or how many people must be accounted for. When seconds matter, access to clear, facility-specific emergency information can save lives. 

 

While this incident occurred at a skilled nursing facility, similar risks exist across a wide range of settings that serve vulnerable populations. These facilities share common challenges during emergencies, including occupants who may be unable to self-evacuate and the need for rapid coordination with first responders. 

 

However, current law does not explicitly require that these facilities’ emergency plans be shared with local first responders—the very agencies responsible for responding in the first moments of a crisis. 

 

That is why I plan to introduce legislation to strengthen emergency preparedness and response across high-risk care facilities by requiring that existing emergency plans be shared with local police, fire, and rescue squads and reviewed on an annual basis. In addition, the legislation will establish minimum baseline elements to ensure these plans are actionable during a crisis, including clear procedures for accounting for all residents, staff, and visitors; identification of a designated on-site emergency coordinator who can communicate directly with first responders; and essential pre-incident information such as facility layout, building systems, and evacuation procedures. This commonsense approach ensures that emergency plans are not only maintained, but are accessible and usable by first responders when every second matters, improving response times and protecting residents, staff, visitors, and emergency personnel. 

 

Please join me in co-sponsoring this commonsense measure to ensure that first responders have the information they need when every second matters.